Italy's Borsalino, one of the world's most
famous hat makers whose fedora was made famous by Humphrey Bogart in the
film
"Casablanca" and Harrison Ford in "Indiana Jones", officially passed into
new
ownership on Wednesday, a month after being put up for auction.

And since no new offer has been forthcoming since, Haeres Equita is
now
officially the new owner of Borsalino, the brand, its factory in
Alessandria,
the equipment, work contracts and retailing rights.

The hat maker, whose fedora was also worn by Alain Delon and
Jean-Paul
Belmondo in the film "Borsalino", celebrated its 160th anniversary last
year.
The firm with 135 employees had racked up a debt 30 million euros as a
result of the mismanagement of its former chief, Marco Marenco, who has
since
been sentenced to five years in prison for fraudulent bankruptcy.

Haeres Equita chief Philippe Camperio had said in mid-July that Borsalino
would be listed on the stock exchange "within four or five years".
It currently has annual sales of around 17.5 million euros and Haeres
Equita hopes to increase annual production of currently 150,000 fedoras
"fivefold in five years".(AFP)